Our Story

In 2012, a small group of people at The District Church were praying about how they could get involved in caring for kids in foster care.

They began talking to Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) in DC, and others churches around the city, and as this happened two things became clear:

1. The city wanted churches to step up

2. …and other churches were also hearing the call to focus on caring for kids in foster care.

We all saw a clear directive in the Bible to care for children and those in vulnerable situations. In James 1:27, where we get our name, we’re told:

pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

In May 2013, churches around the city gathered for DC127’s first prayer gathering and committed to work together for the kids of our city.

On November 2nd, 2013, we launched our city-wide initiative with Foster the City. 400 people representing 28 churches came out and connected with 11 different organizations from across our city. The day was centered around mobilizing everyone to do something for children in foster care.

We also recognize that our story is larger than DC and just one piece of a national movement. We were inspired by churches and movements across the country who are uniting for kids in in foster care. We modeled DC127 off of Project 1.27 in Colorado and are part of the 1.27 Network, which includes groups in Colorado, Arizona, and New York.

We believe that the church is uniquely positioned to support and recruit foster and adoptive families, and work to empower churches with the tools they need to be a supportive place for families.

We believe that in order to serve our city well, we must work alongside DC agencies and serve families and children with them. We currently partner with DC’s Child and Family Services Agency in our Communities for Families program as we share the goal of supporting parents and preventing children from entering foster care.

We would always like to partner with more churches and would love to talk to you about how to engage your church and community. learn more at our “Get Your Church Involved” page.